1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a scanner system, and more particularly to a scanner system which can efficiently be shared among a plurality of personal computers through the use of a relatively simple configuration without any burdens on users.
2. Description of the Related Art
At a typical office, a scanner is usually connected to a personal computer and the scanner and the personal computer are used as a set. That is, virtually one scanner is connected to one personal computer.
However, the personal computer takes a large installation space, incurring costs. Therefore, it is desirable a scanner be shared among several users at a typical office from the viewpoint of installation space and cost. That is, it is desirable that one scanner is shared among a plurality of personal computers.
One approach to the shared use of single scanner among the plurality of personal computers is to exclusively use a network device driver, namely a TWAIN driver or TWAIN driver device control, running on a personal computer to share the scanner on a sharing interface of the network.
However, this approach has a problem, which will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. A user starts an application 221, an image processing program, on his or her (personal) computer 200 (step S41), activates a device drier (TWAIN driver) 222 (step S42), sets scan parameters (step S43), and locks a scanner 100 to use through a SCSI interface 223 and SCSI hardware 224 (step S424). The user then goes to the location at which the scanner 100 is installed and sets paper (step S45). The user goes back to the location of the computer 200, operates the application 221 (step S46) to start scanning (step S47), and check to see whether the scanning is successfully completed (step S48). When the scanning is successfully completed, the user ends the scanning (step S49), and unlocks the scanner 100 (step S410). Then the user goes to the scanner 100 location to take the paper (step S411). When the scanning is not successfully completed at the step S48, that is, when failure occurs, the step S45 and the subsequent steps are repeated.
In this way, the user makes two trips between the computer 200 and the scanner 100. During the period of time in which the scanner 100 is locked, including the time required for the two trips, other users cannot use that scanner 100. Moreover, when scanning is not successfully completed due to a paper jam (step S48), the user should go to the scanner 100 location (step S45), clear the paper jam, set another paper sheet, go back to the computer 200 location, and re-operate the application 221. Thus, this approach is considerably inconvenient.
Another approach is to include all scanner control functions in a small scanner controlling apparatus. That is, a small personal computer dedicated to the scanner is associated with a scanner.
According to this approach, however, a user must develop a device driver for each type of scanner on his/her own. Accordingly, an enormous burden would be placed on the user. For example, when the user wants to connect a new scanner which is a different type with the old one, the user must develop a new device driver (scanner driver) for the scanner. In effect, such a new scanner cannot be employed, which is considerably inconvenient.